


More than a Christmas Party

by LoveGeek15



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Awkwardness, Christmas Party, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, ML Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:22:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21829672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveGeek15/pseuds/LoveGeek15
Summary: There's no way Marinette's going to survive this Christmas. Right?(aka fake dating and disaster babes trying to flirt)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 26
Kudos: 96





	1. Baby, it's cold outside

**Author's Note:**

> I was so excited to join this years ML Secret Santa, and I'm not gonna lie, I think I crushed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now beta'd!
> 
> (oop and also to everyone who read it before beta, a lot has changed. for the better i hope skjdfsdf)

“I need you to be my girlfriend.”

Her blood ran cold. She thought to herself, _this was exactly what she wanted, right?_ But she frowned in spite of herself, and wondered how bad this situation could possibly be.

* * *

It was a freezing cold day.

The sky was gray and everywhere snowflakes were spinning and decorating sidewalks and roofs. The bell just rang, marking the end of classes—and the semester. Students rushed out the halls, some shouting for joy, for Christmas was only a few days away.

Marinette, in particular, jumped with joy animatedly, throwing her arms in the air and making a thousand expressions per second. “Alya! I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas! All the singing and baking and gift wrapping!" 

She paused for a second and her face crumpled. "Oh my gosh, what if I can’t wrap all my gifts in time for Christmas! What if I burn all the cookies! What if they don’t like their presents and then they want the return reciepts but I can’t give them one because I made them!!”

“Woah, there,” Alya said while holding her shoulders, “Slow your roll, girl. You need to relax. How are you going to enjoy Christmas with all that stress?”

Marinette's face stretched with alarm and frustration. “But what if-”

Alya spun her around and lightly pushed her forward. “No more ‘what if’s’. You already made the gifts, right?” Marinette nodded her head. “Then you’ll be fine. And if they don’t like your pastries or gifts, I will personally record and post a video of me throwing them into the Seine.”

Marinette exploded in laughter and clutched onto her stomach as another figure blocked their path. “What’s so funny?”

She went rigid, eyes blown wide as fear and happiness combined etched onto her face. Slowly turning her head up, knowing exactly who this was, was the face of none other than the boy, the model, the legend, Adrien Agreste.

“Uhh...”

“We were just talking about how she doesn’t need to stress about thinking about the what ifs and mistakes that are definitely _not_ going to happen during Christmas.” Thank goodness for Alya and her damage control.

“Huh. I mean, yeah,” he shrugged. Marinette straightened up, using Alya as a stand to stabilize her legs from shaking. He smiled at her. “You’re so thoughtful about everyone and everything. And you always think ahead and plan for backups and backups for those backups. I think you’ll be fine, Marinette.”

Her face flushed red as she processed the compliment. “I-I hope you’re right, Adrien.”

“Oh!” He reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her a few feet in front of them and behind a tree. Panicked, she turned her head to call for Alya, but her best friend only grinned and winked at her, both thumbs up.

_Alya, NO, what if I-_

He held onto both her hands in front of her and scrunched up. He tilted his head. “I, uh, actually need help with something.”

“Something?” She stared at her hands in his hands and felt her face warm up. A voice in her head screamed _Do it! Help him! He’ll realize he’s been in love with you since forever!_

But remembering the pile of tasks she had the upcoming week, she sighed. Tightening her grasp, she frowned, “L-listen, Adrien. Although it _pains_ me to say this, I’m actually going to be _really_ busy for the next few days-”

“No!”

She blinked up at him, eyes wide.

He dropped her hands and shook his hands in front of him, “I-I mean, it doesn’t have anything to do with a gift commission. Or anything to do with gifts. Or commissions. Or maybe sorta? I-I don’t know, but I just need you for one night-”

She clenched her fists to her chest. “Adrien, I’m glad you thought of me but-”

“I need you to be my girlfriend.”

She stopped. Stood there frozen. Mouth gaping and an eyebrow raised. Looking anywhere but him, she repeated his request in her head like a broken radio. _I need you to be my girlfriend. I need you. Be my girlfriend. GIRLFRIEND. NEED._

Her face scrunched in confusion as she pulled on the collar of her jacket. “W-why are you asking me this? Wouldn’t… _Chloe_ be more than happy to be your girlfriend?” The same voice in her head shouted, _WHY ARE YOU CONVINCING HIM TO PICK CHLOE! YOU. WANT. HIM. DON’T YOU?!_

He rubbed the back of neck, shrugging and smiling his boyishly beautiful smile. “Well here’s the thing. Chloe can be a little…”

She raised an eyebrow. “Pushy? Bossy? Intense?”

He inhaled sharply. “Well, yeah,” he nodded, “you pretty much got it.”

“Adrien, I’ve known Chloe for almost seven years. I think that’s enough time to ‘get her’, don’t you think?”

He shook with laughter, causing her heart to fly in circles. “That’s valid. Anyways, do you remember Gorizilla?”

 _The day when you asked me to help you escape from paparazzi, sneak into a theater to watch a movie, and saved you from a 700 foot drop? You bet your sweet perfume ad I do._

She shrugged. “Sorta.”

He squinted at her. “Sorta?”

“I-I mean… yes. I do remember. Why?”

He swayed side to side, leaning on his hand. “Remember when the paparazzi claimed us as a ‘couple?’”

 _Oh do I._ She nodded, “Mhmm.”

“Well,” he stretched on, “my father asked if I wanted to bring anyone to this Christmas dinner on the 23rd. He actually suggested that I invite Chloe, but I already told him I already had someone in mind.”

_Does he mean me???_

“And then he said, ‘Is it that girl you’re fond of’ or ‘girlfriend.’ Something along those lines.”

 _Those air quotes are killing me, Adrien._ “Just spit it out.” She tensed up. “I-I mean, where do I come in?”

“Uuhhhh,” he fidgeted with his fingers and don’t you _think_ Marinette didn’t notice the blush on his face. “You’re? The girlfriend?”

She blinked at him feeling her face heat up. “Me.”

“You,” he finger-gunned awkwardly.

“Your girlfriend.”

“WELL, if you think of it more like acting,” he said while shrugging. “Since you’re not actually my girlfriend.”

She stared at him, a tense smile chiseled into her face. “Wow. You make a really tempting offer, Adrien. Uh, what time is the party?”

“Marinette!” The two turned to see their best friends waving at them. “I’m walking home with Nino! Will you be alright over there?!”

Adrien shouted back, “We’ll be fine Alya! Happy Holidays!”

They waved and turned to walk in the other direction. Focusing back onto her, Adrien clapped his hands together. “It’s at 7:30. Pleeeeease say you’ll go.”

Her heart stopped as he looked at her like she was his lifetime. Or something like that. How could she say no? This boy had held her heart for so long, how could she not?! She sighed and loosely clasped his hands. She nodded, “Okay. I’ll go.”

He jumped into the air, whooping with joy and punching the air. He rested his hands on her shoulders. “You have no idea how relieved I am right now.”

She chuckled and covered his hand with hers. “I think I can imagine it. Oh, is it formal?”

“Yeah. There will be a lot of father’s business partners attending, so I’m only assuming.”

“That makes sense.”

“Uh, then,” he let her go and pivoted, pointing his hand at the bakery. “Do you want an escort?”

She relaxed her shoulders and laughed. “That would be fantastic.”

* * *

“You can do this Marinette! I believe in you!”

Marinette sighed and crossed her arms. “I know you’re trying to help me, Tikki, but right now, that is not helping at all.”

The small kwami floated down onto her shoulder. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s not really your problem to deal with anyway.”

It had been just two days since he’d asked her to be his (fake) girlfriend at his (dad’s) party and Marinette had been floating on cloud nine ever since. Nothing could possibly bring her mood down.

Except for maybe this.

They stared at the wall of dresses hanging on the railing of her lofted bed. She didn’t really know what kind of ‘formal’ Adrien meant. Is the party a long dress kind of party or mini dress kind? Polka dots or Roses? Pink, Black, or Red? Lace or Satin? So many decisions, not enough time. Her ride was coming in four hours, for goodness sake.

Marinette collapsed onto her spinning chair and rolled back. She narrowed her choices down to three: a black midi-length embellished dress, with red and pink roses dotted around the edges of the skirt, a red lace dress with a single red rose on the waistline, and a pink floor length dress with swirls on it. 

“Marinette, you haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

“I know Tikki, but I need to decide on a dress so I can plan my makeup and shoes to go with it.”

Sighing, Tikki flew to the trapdoor and peeked her head through. Luckily, Marinette’s parents weren’t in the apartment, probably still swamped with lunch rush downstairs in the bakery. She scribbled a quick note, flew it down to the back of the store and stuck it to a door, double checking her surroundings as she did so.

Meanwhile, Marinette had eliminated the gorgeous long pink dress. It didn’t really scream ‘I’m here at a Christmas party with very important people and Adrien Agreste.’

She sighed and crossed her legs. _These options are really nice. I can’t pick one! Ugh, no. Focus Marinette! For Adrien!_

Standing up, she rubbed each dress between her thumb and index finger. _They both have really nice textures. I think I’d be comfortable wearing these for a few hours._

Walking back, she scanned the patterns of the black dress. _This one looks more interesting than just the lone rose in the lace dress. And red is a little bold. But it is Christmas, so it might match more with the theme? But the black one is a bit longer and less revealing. And I actually have heels that could match those ones than the red lace dress…_

Closing her eyes, she reached forward and made her choice. She only had three hours to do her makeup and hair after all.

* * *

After hours of doing her makeup and dancing to music later, Marinette heard the faint ring of the doorbell. She scrambled to pause it and listened quietly to their greetings and compliments. Soon after, Sabine called out to her daughter, “Marinette, your friend, Adrien, is here!”

Marinette inhaled, exhaled and relaxed her shoulders as she double checked her outfit in her mirror. She whispered to herself, “Okay Marinette. You got this. You look gorgeous. It’s just Adrien down there, your crush and boyfriend. _Fake_ boyfriend. For tonight. At a Christmas party. You look great. You can do this. Okay!” She shook her hands, shoulders and legs and tapped her cheeks. 

She reached down, opened the trapdoor and walked down the steps as gracefully as she could. 

* * *

“Marinette won’t take too long. Hopefully,” said Sabine as she placed some hot cocoa on their coffee table.

They shared a laugh around the room and for a moment, Adrien felt warm, like this was what a home was supposed to be like.

“You know,” her papa boomed proudly as he sat on the couch, “my daughter has always been the ambitious type. When she was eight, she wanted to have her own garden. So she made one on her balcony!”

Adrien chuckled and shrugged. “That definitely sounds like…” 

Walking down the stairs, he saw Marinette wearing a gorgeous black dress, sprinkled with roses and her hair up in a delicate bun. As he stood up, he didn’t realize his mouth was open until she said, “Adrien, your mouth is open.”

He slammed his mouth shut— _Ouch_ —and swallowed. He shook his head and made his way to her. “Wow. Y-you look…”

She fidgeted with her red mini purse and raised an eyebrow. “I look…?”

His eyes crinkled as he shrugged. “I- just… _wow._ ”

“Wow.”

“I mean,” he said as he let his head fall on her shoulder, “I mean you… you look beautiful, Marinette.”

She couldn’t help the blush spreading through her face. “Th-thank you, Adrien. You look handsome as well.”

He scoffed. “I wouldn’t be a model if I didn’t.” 

Her laugh chimed into his ear as she hugged her maman and papa. “I’ll text you when I get home, okay?”

Adrien took her hand in his and waved goodbye to Marinette’s parents with his free hand, leading Marinette down the steps and into his car.


	2. Do you see what I see

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They only just arrived and it may or may not be already a disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now beta'd!
> 
> Thanks to ladybuginette for helping meeee :D

The mansion had always daunted her. The sheer size of the front gate, even just the front garden itself always amazed her. And with all the brilliantly white snow everywhere, how could she not be astounded? At the same time, it was awkward. It was a short ride from the bakery to here, only about seven minutes, but she wouldn’t be lying if she told you that that was the longest seven minutes of her life.

_ Seven Minutes Earlier... _

“Hey.”

Marinette sat up straighter at the sound of Adrien’s shy voice, turning to look at him. 

“Um,” Adrien blinked, twisting his ring, “If you ever feel uncomfortable at all tonight, Marinette, just tell me. I’ll ask Gorilla to bring you back.”

Marinette scrunched her nose as she waved her hands in front of her. “No, I-I don’t that that’ll be necessary. But thank you, Adrien.”

He sighed, relieved, and nodded. He turned his head and stared out the window.

Then it was silent. She wanted to reach for her phone in her bag, but that would be rude. So, for what seemed like an eternity, she tried to think of topics to talk about.

Five minutes later, it was, surprisingly enough, Marinette who broke the silence. “Do you have plans for Christmas?”

His eyebrows creased, alarming Marinette.  _ Was that a bad thing to ask? Why is he frowning? Does he have nothing to do for Christmas? Like… last year? _

She noticed his tense shoulders and the way he anxiously twisted his ring. She moved to reach out, but his voice stopped her.

“Not really. Unless Santa decides to come back for another dinner.”

“Oh.” she rubbed the back of her head with a nervous laugh. “Haha… that would be interesting.”

He nodded his head forward. “And you? Do you have any plans for Christmas?”

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, just the usual. More baking and cooking, maybe watch a Christmas movie or two with Maman and Papa.”

Only then did he relax his shoulders, a wistful smile on his face. “That sounds lovely, Marinette.”

“Y-you can join us if you’d like! I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind!”

His eyes lit up as he let out a soft laugh. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”

Adrien’s bodyguard grunted as they drove up to the front of the mansion.

As soon as the car halted in front of the steps, Adrien popped open his door and rushed to hers. He opened it and held a hand out to her. “Shall we?”

She glanced behind her and nodded, “We shall… after I close your door.” 

She scooted and pulled the other car door handle and plopped back in front of a blushing Adrien. His lips tightened. “Let’s forget that ever happened.”

She took a hold of his arm and smiled up at him. “That what happened?”

He straightened his suit and closed the door behind them. He raised his chin, a grin lighting his beautiful features. “Nothing.”

* * *

Marinette would soon realize that walking up the steps to the mansion was the easiest part of the evening. 

Nathalie guided the couple through the crowded foyer, sternly but calmly relaying Gabriel Agreste’s expectations of them and her own tips to enjoy the evening. 

They stopped somewhere in the sea of guests. “This is Michelle D'erasmo , owner and lead designer of her business,  _ Design Eclipse, _ ” announced Nathalie.

Marinette didn’t even realize she was squeezing Adrien’s hand until he tried shaking her off. Standing at 194 cm, Michelle D'erasmo was the epitome of grace and sustainability, in a fashion sense. She found so much of her passion in fashion through her business, she couldn’t have ever imagined being in her presence!

“Hi! I-I mean, good evening, Mme. D'erasmo! It is such an honor to meet you,” she curtsied. 

“Ah, you are the young Agreste’s girlfriend?”

“Uh-”

“Yes!” Adrien replied, pulling her hand behind his arm. “She is my... girlfriend.”

Mme De’nauer applauded excitedly. “Ah! Young love. Such a beautiful thing. Like your ensemble!  _ Bel vestito _ , beautiful dress!”

“I-” Marinette looked down at her outfit and smiled up at her, “Thank you.”

“She made it herself.”

The girls turned their focus on Adrien. His eyes crinkled as he smiled radiantly at her. “Marinette is one of the best designers I know. She’s designed Jagged Stone’s album covers and a hat which won my father’s competition —  _ before  _ we started dating — and more! She’s so passionate about it, I’m sure she’ll be successful in the future.”

She blinked up at him, feeling her face flush, hopefully not ruining her makeup when the other model giggled.

“So lovely. Oh! And Marinette,” Mme. D'erasmo said, holding onto Marinette’s hands, “I would love to work with you one day. Your boyfriend may not be a designer, but he clearly has an excellent sense of style.” She drew herself up to her full height and pointed at Nathalie. “Please have M. Agreste give her my direct contact and card.”

She nodded once and tapped onto her tablet. “Yes, Mme. D'erasmo.”

The model walked away, waving her hand above her. “ _ Arrivederci per ora _ !”

Nathalie turned to them straightening her arms. “Your father has allowed you two to roam and mingle with the guests. You have already heard what he expects of you. Do not disappoint him. Have a pleasant evening.” She spun away and threaded her way into the crowd with strange ease.

Adrien scanned around the room for any open space or recognizable people when he felt a tug at his arm.

“Oh my gosh, is that Nina Ricci Valentino??? Who cares! We need to talk to them!” And she pulled him through the crowd.  _ This is probably how the rest of the night is going to be _ , he thought as he laughed at her giddiness.

* * *

Out of breath, Adrien guided Marinette out to the garden. They found a bench and sat on a clear patch of grass, leaning back to watch the sky.

He breathed in and out heavily. “How long have we been running to each person?”

She shrugged, breathlessly laughing, “I’m not sure. I honestly can’t even believe this is happening.”

He shifted his weight to lean on his arm. 

She closed her eyes, calmed her nerves, and looked up at him. “Adrien.” He hummed quietly in question, and she found herself fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. “I… I-”

A boom followed by screams echoed from the mansion. “ _ Akuma _ !”

They jumped, both mildly upset that their moment was ruined.

Adrien stood up and held a hand out to help Marinette off the ground. “Go and hide in a safe place. Preferably not near the mansion.”

Her eyes blown wide, she tightened her grip on his hand. “What about you, Adrien? Where will you be?”

“I…” He looked to the side and smiled tensely. “I have to find… Nathalie and my father! I-I need to make sure they’re okay. I’ll be alright, I just want you-” There was another loud crash, this time much louder and all the more worrisome. He gripped her shoulders tightly and shouted, “ _ You need to hide, Marinette! _ ”

He turned her to the gate and gave her a light shove. She spun around and tried reaching for him, but he was already sprinting into the mansion. A blinding orange light shone through every window, sending stronger shivers down her spine than the snow outside ever could.

Her vision blurred as she ran across the courtyard, looking for a place to transform. She hid behind a bush and opened her purse. A red flash of color flew into her vision.

Tikki rubbed her eyes and yawned. “What’s the matter, Marinette?”

“There’s an akuma!” Her kwami’s big eyes blinked as Marinette stood up. “We need to get it out of here and save Adrien! Tikki, Spots on!”

* * *

Adrien’s feet pounded against the ground as he sprinted into the mansion, only slowing down when another flash of light blinded him. 

He lifted a part of his over-jacket and whispered harshly, “Plagg, wake up! We need to defeat the akuma!”

His kwami peeked out from his suit. His green cat-like eyes glinted with mischief. “To save your  _ princess? _ ”

Adrien groaned and rolled his eyes as he found an empty closet. “It was  _ one _ time. Plagg, Claws out!”

* * *

Ladybug threw her yo-yo blindly at the mansion, covering her eyes with her free arm. She stumbled in, eyes trained on the floor as she reached for a wall.  _ How does this always happen to me?! _

Someone’s hand grabbed onto her arm and pulled her to the side. 

She swung her arms wildly, yelling, “ _ Hey! Let go of me!” _

“ _ Woah, woah _ ! It’s just me, m’lady.”

She blinked rapidly, trying to force the spots dancing across her vision. “Chat Noir?”

“Your one and only.”

She raised her head and squinted at him. “How are you even able to see?”

“I can’t. But I did find a sort of hiding place behind this wall.”

“Thanks, kitty, but we need to find and capture the akuma as soon as possible.”

“Why? Had to leave something important?”

“More like someone important,” she mumbled. She shook her head and raised her arm to protect her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve been in here for a while, right?”

“Sorta.”

“Uh, do we know anything about them?”

He shrugged. “They’re bright?”

She turned to him and deadpanned, “Great observation. Anything else?”

“They can also turn people into statues with some sort of staff, so I think the light is mostly harmless.”

Another crash, followed by even more screams echoed from farther inside.

She inhaled sharply. “Anything out of the ordinary?!” she pressed tensely.

“If you mean by the object, best case scenario is the staff, worst case is a hair pin or something on their face.”

She groaned as another glass vase shattered on the floor. “Let’s hope we have some Christmas luck.” Throwing her yo-yo in the air, she calls out, “Lucky Charm!” 

A red and black polka-dotted object appeared from thin air, jangling noisily into her outstretched palms. “Keys? Why would I need keys?”

Chat Noir smirked and winked. “It’s probably not for me because you already have the  _ keys _ to my heart, m’lady.”

She rolled her eyes and attempted to look around the room for something,  _ anything,  _ useful. On the ceiling, on the walls, outside. Nothing.

She shook her head. “I.. I can’t find anything.”

“Maybe we need a new perspective.” Chat Noir wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted them up to the second floor.

They crouched down and looked through the railing bars. “Hmm. I guess I can see a bit more than when we were on the ground, but not by much.”

A deep and distorted laugh echoed into their ears. “You think hiding from me will do anything?! Show yourself!”

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. “Are they talking about us?”

“I’m not totally sure, but it is likely. But they’ve at least seen us run around the room, right?”

He nodded. “That’s true. Did you find any use of the keys?”

She shook her head and stood up, grunting. “Ugh, no. This light is killing me!”

“Maybe sunglasses would’ve been nice.”

Three beeps interrupted their thoughts.

“There’s no time for this!” She pulled out her yo-yo and swung it into a shield. “We’ve gotta change tactics.”

He spun his baton, grinning. “You always have the  _ brightest _ ideas, m’lady.”

She could barely contain her laughter as she threw her yo-yo at the light source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hnn I know it seems like a lot of filler and tbh while I do know what's next... I dont know how to get in words kdjhfsk
> 
> Also if the Italian is wrong, blame google translate
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'm like a fourth done with the next chapter because of all your positive feedback! Love you all!


	3. Deck the Halls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another battle two days before Christmas. It's not a rare sight anymore :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe *sorry for not updating for 4 days*
> 
> uhhhh it's still getting beta read but I didn't reread or edit for 10% of this entire chapter! :D
> 
> Enjoy~

Ladybug’s yo-yo bounced off of something, causing a massive roar to shake the room. Definitely the akuma.

The duo rolled and landed somewhere in the room, luckily without knocking anyone over. They blindly rushed forward and swung their weapons in every direction, hoping to at least get some damage.

“ _TRY NOT TO HIT ANY GUEST STATUES_ ,” yelled Ladybug.

Chat grunted with every swing and shouted back, “ _THAT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE, BUGINETTE._ ”

“ _Fools_!” The distorted voice (a womans?) laughed. “You dare to fight without any aid? And I thought you were Paris’s heroes.”

They screeched to a halt and turned back to back. Chat Noir scoffed. “Do you see any roaming akuma’s except for you?”

Ladybug's face tightened as she shifted her position. “You will be defeated, akuma!”

“Call me Dazzle Daze, pretty bug.”

Two beeps rang into their ears.

The voice was everywhere and nowhere all at once. “HA! You’re running on thin ice, Ladybug. Surrender your miraculous or you’ll never see the dark of night!”

Ladybug whispered into Chat’s ear. “Attack where it’s brightest. And try to not open your eyes.”

They pounced towards the light and swung blindly when Chat hits a moving object.

The akuma grunts as Chat pressures in on them. They jump up and swing their staff, pushing him back. Though clearly at a disadvantage, Chat blindly yet strategically deflects each premature swing from the akuma. 

Ladybug on the other hand, throws her yo-yo around randomly. She can hear Chat’s grunting but at the same time, her earrings beeped rapidly for detransformation.

Sprinting as fast as she could, she runs into a wall and searched for a door, any place to hide. She finds a knob and tries pulling it, but it’s locked. She fumbles with the keys on her waist and on the first try, slips it in and opens the door. She slams it behind her just as Tikki flies and flops onto her hand. 

Heart-beat thumping in her head, Marinette opens her eyes to darkness. She scrambled through her purse and handed Tikki a macaroon she stashed in earlier.

“I’m so sorry, Tikki. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Hurry, we need to get out there and help Chat!”

She nodded. “Almost done, give me a few seconds.”

* * *

Finding the akuma’s arm, Chat threw her in the opposite direction and hopefully at a wall. Panting heavily, he sprinted the other way. Unfortunately, the other way _was_ a wall.

Rubbing his forehead, he ran his hands across it and found a door knob. 

_ Let’s hope my bad luck doesn’t catch me this time. _

* * *

As she watched her kwami eat, Marinette felt a rattle behind her. But before she could react to it, the door swung open.

Light scattered into the room as another body tripped on her leg and fell forward. 

She screamed. “ _Close the door, CLOSE THE DOOR!_ ”

Tumbling over, they slammed it shut. 

She reached out to the body and tapped on them. “Are you okay?”

He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “Never better. Wait.” He spun around, green eyes glowing. “ _ Marinette?! _ ”

With her other hand, she searched for her kwami. “W-who’s Marinette?”

_ Idiot. _

He shook his head and grabbed onto her shoulders. “What are you doing here?! You’re not supposed to be in the danger zone!”

“I-I was… looking for Adrien! He ran into the building and I couldn’t just  _ leave _ him!”

He sighed and stood up. “Well… I guess you’re here now. I’ve bought some time with the akuma.” He lifted her up, bridal style. “This isn’t safe. I’m getting you outta here.”

She squirmed and panicked. “No! I’ll be fine where I am! I’m not in the way and nobody, except maybe for you, has found me!”

“Marinette-”

“No!” She jumped down from his arms. “You need to get back out there. Try to find any sore-spots or something.”

She noticed his tight posture and with one hand, held onto his face. “I’ll be fine, Chat Noir. I believe in you.”

He relaxed his shoulders and covered her hand with his. He raised an eyebrow. “If anything happens to you…”

She smiled up at him. “Nothing will happen to me.” She turned him around. “Trust me.”

He glanced back at her and smiled. “Right. You’ve proven yourself on many instances of danger. Stay safe.” He pulled open the door and flinched at the sudden brightness. He jumped on his toes and boosted himself forward as Tikki flew out of her hiding place.

Marinette slammed the door and grinned. “Ready?”

She nodded her head. 

“Tikki, Spots on!”

* * *

Chat Noir found himself in a tight spot soon after running out of the closet.

He crashed into a frozen statue and tripped on a cloth from another table that was flipped over by Dazzle Daze. 

“Having a tough time, kitty?”  _ Speak of the devil _ .

He backed slowly and pointed his baton. “No one but Ladybug can call me that!”

The akuma laughed poshly and purred, “Aww, is the stray alone without his little toy-”

Now that hit a nerve. Chat pounced at the voice and swung his arms at her wildly. He got a scratch in when she hit him like a baseball across the room.

“Chat Noir!” 

He felt her arms lift his head onto her lap. She brushed his hair to the side. “Chat…”

He didn’t want her to let him go, but there  _ was _ an akuma. He lifted himself held onto her shoulder. “I think I’m okay for now, m’lady. Now let’s knock this light out.”

“Woah, calm down there. We’re not killing her.”

“I-I know. It’s an expression. Right?”

“STOP MUMBLING AND ATTACK ME ALREADY!”

They jumped at the sudden voice and scrambled to their feet. 

Ladybug nudged his arm. “Attack? She  _ wants _ us to attack her?”

“Maybe it’s bait.” He leaned forward, reached out and found a table. He pulled himself and Ladybug behind it. “I think I have an idea.”

“Oh, so the student becomes the teacher. What do you have in mind?”

“After I threw her behind me, she didn’t immediately chase or attack me. I think she runs out of energy quickly.”

“Huh. Did she dim out or..?”

“Uuuh, I had my eyes closed the entire time. But I really hope she does.”

She nodded. “Let’s hope this works.” She threw her yo-yo for the second time that night and yelled, “Lucky Charm!”

The item that dropped into her arms made Chat burst into laughter. 

Wiping an invisible tear, Chat gasped, “I guess we literally have to  _ throw shade _ at her tonight.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and nudged him with her shoulder. “Okay, enough of that or else this lampshade will become a Chat cone.”

He gasped dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. “M’lady,  _ please _ have mercy on me! I am  _ so  _ _ frightened _ ! ”

She sighed and readied her yo-yo. “You should be. Watch your eyes, okay? Jump on three.”

He nodded.

“Three!”

They jump over the table as Chat Noir throws his extended staff forward. It bounces off the akuma and boomerangs back into Chat’s hands. Dazzle Daze swings his staff at him, laughing maniacally when Ladybug slides between her legs. Her yo-yo wraps around Daze's ankle just as she pops back up. The spotted heroine throws the lampshade like a frisbee to Chat, it smacking into his face and onto his head upside down. She pulls back, causing the akuma to fall forward into Chat’s arms and into the lampshade. 

_ It’s definitely dimmer _ , she thinks as she runs forward and tries swiping the staff from her hands. Chat was right, she didn't have that much energy left, the akuma can barely move, but somehow, she manages to trip Ladybug, sending her staff across the room. 

“Chat! The staff! I’ll hold her off!”

He runs after it and calls out, “Cataclysm!” 

Dazzle Daze yells out her static sounding shout. “NO!”

He grabs onto it before it bounces out the window. It disintegrates into dust at his touch.

Pulling her yo-yo back, she opens it and shouts, “No more evil doing for you, little akuma!” She catches and releases it as Chat runs back to the akuma. She yells out “Miraculous Ladybug” and throws the keys and lampshade into the air. Shiny ladybugs fly all over the room, reverting messes and statues and Dazzle Daze back as they were before.

The lady, maybe in her late thirties, had platinum blond hair and wore an elegant green dress. She massaged her forehead. “W-what happened?”

Chat knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You were akumatized.”

She tensed up and covered her mouth. “Oh goodness! Was anybody hurt? Oh dear, I am so sorry Ladybug and Chat Noir. Thank you for saving me.”

Chat stood up as Ladybug helped the akuma victim stand. “It’s our duty to save those in need. Enjoy your evening, madam!”

Running out of the mansion through an open window, they landed on the roof and sighed in relief at the dark night. Chat raised his fist and fist-bumped his partner. “ _ Bien Joue. _ ” 

She pulled out her yo-yo and grinned up at him. “Have a nice Christmas, Chat Noir.”

“Wait!” He grabbed onto her arm and creased his eyebrows. He looked down, solemnly. “I… don’t want you to leave just yet. We... didn’t have any time to talk.”

She blinked. “Of course we did. What were all those puns then?”

He dropped her hand and sighed. “I was just hoping we could spend some time together after the akuma. Since it _is_ Christmas and all…”

She noticed his drooped ears and closed arms. Oh how she wanted to turn his frown upside down. She hated seeing him sad. Sighing, she held onto his arm. “For a few minutes. Or at least until our miraculouses say it’s time to go.”

His face squashed into a dopey smile as his shoulders relax and ears lift, just a little though. He slowly leaned his head onto her head as they stared up at the sky.

A minute passes when Chat chuckled quietly. She raised an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

His eyes traced her features, especially her eyes. And maybe her lips. Maybe he would be lucky tonight. “Nothing. I just love spending time with you, m’lady.”

As soon as he said that, her earrings and his ring beeped into their ears. 

He breathed out and shook his head.  _ Of course not. _

He felt a loss of heat at his side as she pulled out her yo-yo once more. 

Smiling softly, he whispered to her as snow fell from the sky. “Thank you, Ladybug.”

Her eyes wrinkled. “You’re welcome. Merry Christmas, Chat Noir.” 

Throwing her yo-yo at a nearby building, she jumped and swung a few blocks away… just to swing around the mansion. She landed behind a bush at the back of the mansion and called out, “Tikki, spots off.”

Tikki floated down and giggled. “I think tonight turned out to be very eventful.”

She sighed, shrugging. “It always ends up being like this. But it’s fine. It wouldn’t be Christmas without saving the day with Chat Noir.”

* * *

Chat jumped down from the roof and behind a few tall bushes his father just likes to keep around. He sighed and extended his arms out. “Plagg, claws in.”

A black blur flew out of his ring as Chat Noir unwrapped into Adrien Agreste. The kwami cried out, “Cheeeeeese! Can’t a kwami get any cheese around here?”

Adrien laughed as he petted his head. “Here,” he pulled out a cheese from his suit. “We’ll get you some more later.”

Plagg popped the cheese into his mouth, his stomach briefly becoming larger. “Hey, aren’t you forgetting something? Or perhaps  _ someone _ ?”

Adrien stared at his kwami in confusion. He frowned in thought.  _ Who am I forgetting? Wait a second- _

His eyes widened. “Marinette! Oh shoot, I totally spaced out!” He shoved Plagg into his suit. “We’ve got to find her!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this went well. yeah :D
> 
> Chat carried the team this time and he definitely deserved that together time oKAY
> 
> Oh, and tell me your thoughts on this ! I've been trying to improve on my writing, so some feedback would be great!
> 
> OKAY thanks for reading and sticking around and I hope you enjoyed and im hoping to get the last chapter done before christmas and i dont really mind if i dont get a beta for the last chapter i want to get it in before christMAS-


	4. It must have been the mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little teasing and christmas luck should do the trick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! I don't plan on editing the last chapters after a year, but I hope this makes enough sense to send off! i decided to go with a sweeter (and therefore cheesy) ending and I'm glad I did.
> 
> enjoy, and happy holidays everyone!
> 
> Edit (ironically): I ended up fixing this chapter to make it make a little more sense? And now it's cliche skdjfhskdjf

Adrien sprinted out from behind the bushes just as Marinette walked out the opposite side.

“Marinette?” Adrien paused as the girl a few paces away snapped her bag shut.

“Oh, there you are Adrien!” Marinette sighed in relief, catching up to him. “I’ve been looking for you the whole fight! You can’t just run away from a girl, let alone your f-fake girlfriend.”

“I’m sorry,” Adrien rubbed his neck nervously, “I had to... make sure my father got out safe. I couldn’t find him, but I had to leave since the akuma kept turning people into statues.”

“Oh, well at least you’re safe now thanks to Chat Noir and Ladybug.”

“Yeah,” Adrien nodded with a faraway look on his face. He shook his head before moving beside her, a polite hand hovering behind her, guiding them back to the mansion. “Oh, what were you going to say earlier? Before we got interrupted?”

A brief flashback to the bench and her almost confession popped into her mind. Would she have actually confessed then? She was kind of just talking to fill the silence or maybe the adrenaline from running around the party made her mouth move without her consent.

But it has been a year… maybe it’s time to see where they are, if they even are somewhere in that sense.

…

She can’t.

“Oh, it was nothing,” she waved off, a small twinge of guilt squeezing in her heart. “I just wanted to say that I had a lot of fun tonight, even with the akuma showing up, I guess.” 

“Me too!” Adrien beamed at her, almost as bright as the akuma. “I was really impressed by how you talked to everyone. I usually just nod along like my father tells me to. You’re a pretty cool girlfriend, Marinette!”

 _Girlfriend?!_ “D-don’t you mean pretend? Pretend Girlfriend?” Marinette laughed, her voice raising. _Oh, this is a joke! Of course he’s joking, what else is he talking about?_

“Pretend?” Adrien tilted his head, his smile drooping a little in confusion. “Why pretend; I asked you to be my girlfriend, didn’t I?”

 _Is it possible that I’m dreaming?_ Marinette thought as she froze, her expression only describable as maniacally doubtful. _Maybe I hit my head too hard while trying to trip the akuma._

“Uh,” Adrien glanced away, pausing. “At least I think I did… judging by your silence, I probably said it in a different way.”

“...Adrien-”

“Wait!” Adrien threw his hands up. “I think I said something about acting to make it sound less intense, but I really did mean girlfriend- for a day! For tonight! That is, um, at least for a few hours?” He finished lamely, rubbing his neck again in guilt. When he saw her face, he deflated. “Um, I’m really sorry that you kept being called my girlfriend. I should’ve just told my father you were just a friend instead of making you feel uncomfortable-”

“No!”

Adrien blinked up at Marinette, who was standing in front of him with tense shoulders. The light from a post bolded her expression and backlit her form, despite her short stature. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. “I mean… no. I wasn’t uncomfortable, at least for the last half of the party.”

Before Adrien could crumble to the ground in embarrassment, Marinette reached out and grabbed his hand. “And don’t be sorry to hear people say that I’m your girlfriend. To be honest, it was fun hearing people refer to you as my ‘model boyfriend’, even though it’s you who’s more famous than me.” 

“So you’re not mad?”

“Not really,” she shook her head, pulling him to walk beside her. “I mean, Christmas is supposed to be all happiness and joy, right? So I’m not mad, just… confused.”

“Confused? About what?”

“This,” she motioned to their interlocked hands, “Do you really see me as your girlfriend?”

 _This could make or break our friendship_ , Marinette bit her lip, _I guess we’re doing this now._ She felt a pull in her hand and stopped again for the third time. He’s either going to look really guilty or really happy. Either way, something’s going to change. _Might as well rip it off like a bandaid_.

She spun around at the boy, opening her eyes to a fairly neutral look on his face. “Adrien? It’s kind of cold— you don’t have to answer that either, you know? Let’s just get inside.”

Without changing his expression, he shrugged off his suit jacket and placed it on her shoulders, grabbing onto her other hand afterwards. He pulls her up the steps to the mansion, stopping at the stop before turning to face her. “But I do.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, my father already thinks we're dating,” he smiles warmly, but even the biggest of smiles can't hide the true feelings from eyes. 

Marinette blinked at him. “Are you serious right now?”

He straightened up and shivered. “Uh? Well-”

“Adrien," she sighed, sandwiching his hands between hers. "I'm not asking your _father_ if I'm your girlfriend, I'm asking if _you_ see me as your girlfriend."

His mouth squeezed in a line. Time seemed to stop as she waited in bated silence, his eyes turning down at their hands. _He's really thinking hard about this, huh,_ Marinette thought to herself, biting her lip. _I should've just left it alone. It was easier to just pretend._

 _Not it's not,_ her mind supplied her. _It's been too long._

“We have been getting closer since the start of the new school year," Adrien suddenly says, sounding a little far away. "And I’ve always had a lot of admiration for you, Marinette. Maybe... maybe I just wanted to see how you'd react or see how this relationship thing with you could work. I don't know...”

 _He admires me?_ Marinette felt her heart flutter. _I’m definitely dreaming._ “I definitely passed out somewhere back in the party,” she dropped her head to her hands, sighing. 

“You didn’t,” Adrien chuckled, “I would’ve caught you and brought you to the hospital.”

“Stop, don’t say stuff like that,” Marinette smiled back, placing a hand on her heart, pretending to be out of breath. She was going to file a murder from adorableness if he keeps this up. "So what are you trying to say, Adrien?"

The blond's gaze settled on her face, a fond expression forming as he takes a deep breath. "I'm saying that I do see you as my girlfriend-"

 _Is there an expression for the feeling of your heart squeezing?_ Marinette thought as she held her breath.

"-at least for tonight."

 _What?_ "Huh?"

He gathered her hands once more, pulling them close to his face. "I want to get to know you more, Marinette. I know how amazing you are. To be honest, I feel like you're out of my league," he laughs quietly, his breath warming her hands. "I just... I feel like we're not close enough for anything, yet! This party, my invitation and excuses on why I wanted you to go; I wanted to see if you felt the same."

Now it was her turn to gape at him. "Wh..."

"Wha..?" Adrien tilted his head.

"W-well, what about everything you did?" Marinette shook her head in shock.

"What did I do?" Adrien blinked at her, mirroring her expression.

"Like... everything! Like, what about all the times you complimented me?"

"Those are _compliments_ , Marinette, don't people give compliments all the time?" 

"Not like you?" Marinette's voice pitched higher with the last vowel. "Well, what about Chloe's party? When you asked me to dance?"

"We were all dancing, and I wanted to dance with you, is there something wrong with that?"

"No!" she shook her head rapidly. She squeezed her eyes shut. "No, well, what about that lucky charm you made me?"

"It was your birthday!" Adrien shrugged his shoulders up to his ears. "We're still friends, I wanted to make something special for you because we're kind of close?"

"Then what was that talk about not being close enough?!" 

Adrien sighed fondly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Marinette-"

"What about when I confessed?" Marinette dropped her own hands on his shoulders.

He blinked down at her, his eyebrows raising. "You _confessed?"_

"Hero's Day? Don't you remember when you were about to leave and I stopped you?"

"That was a confession????" Adrien's eyes widened.

"I kissed you???"

"On the cheek!"

"Same thing!" Marinette threw her arms in the air, bumping Adrien's arms off her. 

"Marinette," the model sighed exasperatedly, reaching for her hands. "What I mean by 'we're not close enough' is exactly that: we're not close enough. I don't know you like Alya does, or heck, even Nino, but they seem to be closer to you than I am. Everything you've listed? That was me trying to ease you to into a closer friendship because you can sometimes be timid around me."

 _Timid?_ Marinette deflated.

"I just want _you_ to feel comfortable to do _whatever_ with me, you know, before or if we do something more than friendship? If that makes sense?"

The designer stared up at his hopeful face, a little twang of guilt pinching her insides. _I really... I didn't make myself clear haven't I._ "It does," Marinette smiles sadly. "So... what now?"

"What now?"

"Like... what about tonight?" She asked, turning her head down, fiddling her fingers. "Am I still your girlfriend or..."

"For tonight, you are."

"I know, but will we..."

"Maybe," Adrien shrugged, shivering and exhaling a cloud of smoke. 

“Hmm,” he voiced, after a quiet moment. Curious, Marinette glanced up at the model, who was looking up at something else. Green. And plant like. Adrien glanced back down to her with a mischievous smile on his face. “I could prove it to you.” 

Pulling the jacket closer, she squinted in thought. “Prove what?”

"That there's potential."

 _Potential,_ Marinette's heart fluttered once again. _There's potential._

Adrien sighed, rubbing his arms. “It’s cold, Marinette. I know it's only for tonight, but may I please kiss you with my very cold lips or do you want to go inside and forget I just said that outloud?”

“Pfft, a kiss would be nice,” she laughed as Adrien pulled her closer. 

Their kiss wasn’t mind-blowing, heart-stopping, or any other life-threatening hyphenated word. It was a simple peck on the lips. He was right, both of their lips were cold, but the warmth spreading in her chest could melt it all away. And their goofy giggling carried them through the closing of the party, checking on others to see if they’re okay from the attack and feeding each other the leftovers from the snack table, actually being a real couple just for those few minutes. Or at least, a closer pair than they were before. 

They carried their relaxed excitement all the way back to Marinette’s house, where they ended up being late by a few minutes for losing track of time. 

Doing the same from earlier (except this time he closed his door behind him), Adrien popped open her door and held a hand out. 

Wordlessly, Marinette smiled at him and took his hand, letting him close the door behind her. “Adrien-”

“Did you-”

“Oh, sorry,” they said at the same time. “No you go first.”

“Uh,” Marinette cut in, “I’ll go first then. Thank you for inviting me to your party Adriein. I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” he smiled, rubbing her hands between his to keep them warm. “I’m really grateful to have someone like you, Marinette.”

“Yeah,” Marinette nodded, staring at their hands. _I feel like I'm gonna wake up any minute now._ Pulling her hands away, she walked backwards towards her door. “Well, Merry Christmas, Adrien-”

“Wait! Uh,” Adrien raised a hand, grabbing something from the front of his family's car. A small present with pink and green wrapping. “Merry Christmas. And, if you ever need a boyfriend for a party, I’m your guy,” he smirked cheekily.

“Oh, thank you, Adrien,” she smiled down at the gift to hide her blush. "I’m glad we got to be a couple for a few hours.”

“Yeah, me too.”

A few silent moments passed as Marinette admired the small box. It could be jewelry, or a very small keychain of sorts. Or maybe a compact travel thing? 

“Well, good night, Marinette,” Adrien suddenly said, leaning forward and sweeping her bangs to the side to press a soft kiss on her forehead. He waved back at her and popped open and closed his car, leaving Marinette a little dumbstruck and definitely lovesick.

"Wow," Marinette laughed as she watched his car drive away. "I'm never going to hear the end of this when I tell Alya. Wait," she gasped as she pulled his jacket closer to her. "his jacket..."

...

Maybe he left it on purpose. _Oh yeah,_ she smiled as she breathed in the jacket, opening the bakery door. _I'll freak out about this later. Best. gift. ever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hopefully this edit sounds a little more put together lol


End file.
